David cochrane



(No Model.) I 7 I D. COGHRANE.

ATTAGHMENT FOR STEAM PURIFIERS. No. 538,868. 'Pa tented May 7, 1895.

whim @0018 UNIT D STATES PAT NT iOErrrcn.

DAVID COOHRANE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HARRISON SAFETY BOILER WORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

ATTACHMENT FOR STEAM-PURIFIERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 538,868, dated May 7,1895. Application filed February 28, 1895. Serial No. 539,990. (No model) zen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPenn'syl- Vania, have invented a new and useful'Irn'-' provement in Attachments for Steam-Purifiers, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawing. to My invention consists of a novel construction of an attachment for steam purifiers, by means of which the water and oil separated from a current of steam are accumulated in the well or drip tank of the purifying apparatus, and eventually discharged therefrom by the manipulation of simply constructed and readily applied valved connections, provision being also made for readily creating a vacuum in said drip tank, whereby all obstaizo cles to the effective working of apparatus of this character are removed, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

'The figure represents a side elevation of an attachment for steam purifiers, &c., embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a steam separator, which may be of any suit- ,able type, but preferably constructed in accordance with prior patents granted to me,

the same having suitable obstructions or baffie plates, not shown, arranged in the path of the incomingsteam, by means of which the oil and entrained water are separated therefrom.

B designates the steam inlet pipe, which may be connected with the exhaust port of an engine, and C the outlet from said separator, which may lead to a condenser-or other point.

D designates a well attached to the bottom of the separator, and having communication therewith, said Well being provided with the gage E, which indicates the height of the oil and water therein.

F designates a drip pipe leading from the bottom of the Well D to the drip tank H, said pipe having a valve G therein.

J designates an equalizing pipeleading from the steam outlet pipe 0 to the upper portion of the drip tank, said equalizing pipe having a valve K therein.

L designates a nipple attached to said pipe J, at a point intermediate the valve K andthe tank H, said nipple having attached-thereto the air valve M, which admits air into said nipple, and thence into the tank H, when the valve K is closed.

N designates a gage attached to said tank H, for indicating the height of water and oil I therein, said tank having the outlet pipe P, leading from the lower portion thereof to the drain, said pipe having the valve Q therein.

The operation is as follows: When the apparatus is working, the steam being admitted to and discharged from the separator A by the pipes B and C respectively, the valves G and K are opened, and the valves M and Q are closed, and it will be seen that the oil and water separated from the steam fall freely by gravity into the Well D, and thence into the drip tank 'H,the air being drawn therefrom through 73 thepipe J into the pipe 0, it being noted that there is no opposing current to obstruct the downward passage of the fluid, and that when the latter reaches the tank, it 'is out of the path of the current of steam, and cannot be 7 taken up again, thereby. When it is desired to empty saidtank, the valves G and K are closed,'and the valves Q and M are opened, thus isolating the tank from the steam line, and opening it to the atmosphere, whereupon by reason of the atmospheric pressure on the top of the contents of said tank, which takes place on opening the air valve M, the water and oil contained therein flow out by gravity through the pipeP to any desired point. After the tank is emptied, the valves M and Q are closed, and the valve K is opened, whereupon the current of steam rushing through the pipe 0 will create a vacuum in the drip tank by reason of the intermediate pipe J, the lato ter allowing the air in the tank to flow into the steam pipe 0, and thence to the air pump of the condenser. The valve G is then opened again, and the water and oil which have accumulated in the well D, during the empty- 5 ing of the drip tank, descend through the pipe F into said tank, without hinderance, since the pressure in the said tank has been equalized through the pipe J, and when it is desired to emptysaid tank again, the valves IO) G and K are closed, and the valves M and Q opened as before, and the above described operation is repeated, it being evident that the oil and water which accumulate in the drip tank and well can be readily removed. therefrom at all times by a proper manipulation of the valves G, K, M and Q, without necessitating the stoppage of the flow of steam through the separator A.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to conduct the oil and water removed from a current of steam to a suitable tank in which is a float which is adapted to open the steam supply to a pump when the water and oil in the tank reach a predetermined height, the function of said pump being to remove the fluid from said tank. The above arrangement is however costly to install, and expensive to maintain, and is furthermore very nn reliable.

I am also aware that it has been heretofore proposed to connect a pipe from the well of the separator to a suitable drip tank thereunder, and to provide means for admitting atmosphericpressure to the upper portion of said tank, but the above device is open to grave defects 1n practice, since there is no provision made for creating a vacuum in the said and thus raises the fluid accumulated in the well up into the steam pipe beyond the separator, which corresponds to the pipe 0 in the present instance, thus preventing the complete purification of the steam sought to be attained by the employment of a separator; all of which objections are overcome by my invention, and to none of the above mentioned structures showing the prior art do I herein make my claim.

It will be evident that it'desired, the air valve and its connection to the equalizing pipe may be dispensed with, while the outlet pipe P of the drip tank may be connected with a pump (not shown), the movement of the steam inlet valve of said pump being controlled by float actuated mechanism (not shown) within said drip tank, the function of the equalizing pipe being unchanged, the same serving to remove air or gas from the upper portions of said drip tank, and thus create a vacuum therein, as has been explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Paten is- 1. A steam separator, a steam inlet and out let therefor, a drip tank, a drip pipe leading from said separator to said tank, and a pipe forming a communication between the upper portion of said drip tank and the steam outlet pipe leading from said separator, whereby the air in the upper portion of said tank is removed, substantially as described.

2. A steam separator, a steam inlet and outlet therefor, a drip tank, a drip pipe leading from said separator to said tank, and a pipe forming a communication between the upper portion of said drip tank and the steam outlet pipe leading from said separator, whereby the .air in the upper portion of said tank is removed, and means for removing the water and oil from said drip tank, substantially as described.

3. A steam separator, a drip tank, a valved drip pipe leading from said separator to said tank, a valved outlet for the latter, means for introducing atmospheric pressure into said tank and means for creating a vacuum in the latter, substantially as described.

4. A separator, a steam inlet and outlet, and a well therefor, a drip tank having a valved outlet, a pipe intermediate said tank and well,

a valved pipe leading from said steam .ontlet to said tank, and means for admitting atmospheric pressure into the latter, substantially as described.

5. A steam separator A, having the steam inlet B, the outlet C, the well D, the valved drip pipe F, leading from said well to the drip tank H, the latter having a valved outlet P, the valved equalizing pipe J, intermediate said tank and outlet pipe 0, the nipple L connected with said pipe between the valve therein and said drip tank, and the air valve M secured to said nipple, substantially as described.

6. A steam separator, a drip tank, a valved connection intermediate the same, a valved outlet for said drip tank, and means for creating a vacuum in the latter, substantially as described.

7. A steam separator, a drip tank, a valved connection intermediate the same, a valved outlet, for said drip tank, and means for introducing atmospheric pressure into the latter, substantially as described.

DAVID COCHRANE.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, E. H. FAIRBANKS. 

